Fire-escape.



No. 937,799. Patented Nov. 2l, |999.

T. n. coNNELLY.

FIRE ESCAPE.

(Applicationled Aug. 4, 1899.) -(No Model.)

WM' @y NITED STATES 4PATENI Orrin,

'rIMo'rufEY D. coNNELLY, or Es'rns, MIssoURI.

laEEscAe;

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters ratent No. 637,709, dated Nm'fenitel 21, ieee'.

Application iiled August 4, 1899.

T all whom t may concern:

Be it known that LTIMoTHEY D. CONNELLY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Estes, in the county of Pike and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Fire-Escape, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in fire-escapes.

One object of the present invention is to irnprove the construction of fire-escapes and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient device designed for enabling a person to descend a rope at the desired speed to escape from a burning building or for any other purpose and capable of enabling the descent of a person to be readily controlled and of providing lneans for securely attaching a person serial No. 726,175. (No man.)

nals secured to the u'pper ends of the sides of the frame.

The descent of the frame is positively coritrolled by a brake consisting ofa rigid cross'- bar 7 and a lever 8. The crossbar 7 is bolted or otherwise secured to or connected with the sides of the frame at the lower ends thereof, and the lever is fulcrumed at one end on one of the sides of the frame by a bolt 9 or other suitable fastening device, and it is extended beyond the other side of the frame and shaped to form a handle 10. The lower portion of the rope is passed from the lowermost round 3 between the bars 7 and the lever 8 and is clamped to the desired extent by pressure applied to the handle end of the lever, which is provided between its ends with a depresrope at the center of the frame and to prevent it from binding against the sides thereof. The guide, which may be constructed in any suitable manner, preferably consists of a rod coiled to form an eye and having its termison desires to carry with him when escaping from a burning building or other danger.

It will be seen that the fire-escape is exceedingly simple and inexpensive in constructo it. sion or socket 11, arranged to receive a pro- 7o A further object of the invention is to projection 12 of the cross-bar, whereby the lever zo vide a device of this character adapted to acis supported against inward and outward commodate itself to ropes of different sizes movement and is prevented from being and capable of enabling various objects to be strained by the passage of the rope through conveniently carried downward by a person the brake. After the desired pressure is apoperating the device. plied to the lever the latter is locked by means 25 The invention consists in the construction of atooth 13, carried by the lever, and a and novel combination and arrangement of ratchet 14, secured to the adjacent side of the parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated frame. The teeth of the ratchet may, if dein the accompanying drawings, and pointed sired, be formed integral with the side of the 8o out in the claims hereto appended. frame, and after the lever has been properly 3o In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective set it will not require further attention.

View of a {ire-escape constructed in accord- The operator or person descending is supance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a longiported by a seat 15'and a belt 16, connected tudinal sectional view of the same. with the sides of the frame by straps 17. The

Like numerals of reference designate correseat consists of a strap provided at its ends 35 sponding parts in both figures of the drawwith eyes or rings 18, which are linked into ings. snap-hooks 19, secured to the outer faces of 1 designates a substantially oblong frame the sides of the frame. The belt is provided designed to be constructed of either Wood or with a suitable buckle, and its straps are pro- 9o metal and composed of sides 2 and transverse vided with snap-hooks 2O to engage those of 4o rounds or bars 3, arranged near the center the frame. The snap-hooks of the frame conand ends of the frame and adapted, as 1llusslst ot hooks secured to the lower portions of trated in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawthe sides and springs secured at their upper ings, to have a rope t passed around them ends to the sides of the frame and having 95 to retard the descent of the frame. The their lower ends engaging the bills of the 45 frame is provided at its upper end with a hooks.

guide 5, having an eye 6 arranged equidis- The sides of the frame are provided at their tant of the vsides and adapted to retain the lower ends with rearwardly-extending hooks 2l, adapted to receive such articles as a per- Ion tion, that it possessesgreat strength and durability, and that itis yadapted to be applied to ropesof various sizes. AIt will alsobe apparent that the descent of a 'person maybe l readily controlledl and that after the brakelever has been properly adjusted it may be locked in such position. Furthermore, litwill be seen that the straps securely fasten a person `to ,the device and effectually prevent anyl accident happening to him should lhe lose 'his self-possession or become insensible through towithout departing from the spirit or sac,

ricing any of the advantages of this inven i fright.` Also, the device is adapted to con-,-

vey tothe gro'nndfvarious articles desired byr a'person in escaping from a- 'buildingm Y Y.

, Changes in the form, proportion, size, and the minor details of `construction within the 'scope of the appended claims may be'vresortd lg' A device of the class described compris# ing a frame having rounds to receive a rope ,or line, and abrake composed of a bottom cross-.bar arranged horizontallyand provided with a vertical projection, and a lever ful-` .crumed on the frameabove the said cross-bar and adaptedfto be drawn downward v toward `Athe-"same toclarn'pthe ropey or" line, whereby f the weight of a person may .be'utlized for this purpose said lever being provided'with a socket receiving the said projection to prev'e'rit the lever from 'being forced laterally by thepressure'exerted'on it or byjthemovement of the rope, substantially as described.

v 2. A device of kthe class described comprising a frame havingrounds to receive a'rope,

a cross-bar provided betweenvits endslwith a projection, a brake-lever fulcrumed at one .end onfthe frame and provided between its ends with a socket to receivethe projection,

and. a ratchetarranged at oneside of the substantially as described. Y y

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as frame in position to ,be engaged yby the lever,

y myovjn I lhave hereto affixed my signature in .the presence of two Witnesses.'r

TIMOTHEY "1). coNNELLY;

Wit-nesses: l Y

JOHN. W.Y MARTIN,

.y f HOMER W. MARTIN. 

